Everything in Me
by Minka
Summary: When Legolas is placed on trial due to crimes against the people of Rohan and the accusation of siding with the enemy, both he and Aragorn learn that a deadly slip of words can bring about more danger then either ever thought possible.
1. Condemnation

**_Oh, a new story!  _**

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**_Now, before you all go and bite my head off for not updating my others, I feel I should offer you some form or explanation.  _**

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**_1) I have had a terrible case of writers (or attempting-writers) block for the last few weeks.  I am going through the 'that is crap', 'this is crap', 'everything that I do is crap' stage and so, any attempts on stories that I need to continue have ended up in the scrap heap._**

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**_2) I am having a few personal problems that are strongly weighing me down at the moment and I need to sort them out before I can truly concentrate on anything substantial.  _**

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**_3) One word; school...last year of school.  _**

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**_Ok, so you have heard the sob story, so I hope you will all forgive me for this slight detour in updating my other stories.  All I can offer in condolences is this little tale.  It will be about three to five chapters long (depends on how much I get sidetracked with it) and is...well, VERY different to what you would normally read on here.  _**

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**_Also, I know that this chapter is small, and I apologize for that, but there is a reason.  I have kind of thrown you right into the middle of the story here, and then it shall go back in time and whatnot, so not all of it will be this short.  _**

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**_Ok, on with the story..._**

*****

Everything in Me...

Chapter one

Condemnation

*****

_It's down to this  
I've got to make this life make sense  
Can anyone tell what I've done  
I miss the life  
I miss the colors of the world  
Can anyone tell where I am_

_3 Doors Down_

*****

An eerie silence fell about the room, the dirtied faces of the Rohan men framing eyes that peered at the prisoner with a mixture of both fear and interest.  The prisoner stood tall and proud despite the chains that adorned his hands and feet; his eyes glaring out at them all, showing his hate, strength and power that his deceptive form possessed.  It was those eyes that held it all.  Eyes that, as whispered fearfully in dark corners, could, with one look, steal a person's soul and send it stumbling into darkness.  

"Legolas of Mirkwood," Théoden, King of the Mark, started formally while looking the prisoner directly in the eyes.  For his part Legolas merely glared back, his ice-blue gaze allowing his hate to be openly shown while using his only power over the people gathered within the hall of the Deep.  He had learnt in the last few days that they were nervous of his eyes, that they feared making contact with the deep intensity that they held.  

"You have been given a fair trial and a chance to make your plea.  Do you still refuse to profess your guilt?"

Legolas' eyes flared in anger at the last question.  How many times must they go over this?  

"To something as foolish as this?" Legolas answered with his own question, his tone a mixture of hate and disbelief.  "Your claims are lacking both substantial justification and any hints of evidence to-"

"SILENCE!" Théoden commanded while stamping his foot loudly to bring order to the Elf's unnecessary words and the stir of commotion that had traveled throughout the room.  "You will answer what you are asked and say no more!  Do you understand?"

"I do not answer to you or your people!" Legolas shouted back, his feeble grip on his self-control slipping away with each passing moment.  "I shall say all that I wan-" 

His declaration was cut sharply off by a fist contacting with the side of his jaw, his head snapping back as a spot of blood automatically appeared at the side of his lip.  A scuffle erupted off to his left and, from the corner of his eye, Legolas could see both Aragorn and Gimli being restrained in their seats by their own guards, their bound hands useless in their struggles.  

To Aragorn's right sat Gandalf, looking tired and for once appearing his age.  His staff was gone, taken upon his arrival against his will and held somewhere within the King's makeshift chambers, far out of his reach.  Looking at the old wizard now, Legolas could not help but wonder what was wrong with him.  Why did he seem so very old, so weary?  Why was he not helping his and Aragorn's plight?  

Something had changed in the wise man since his arrival at the fort the morning before that Legolas could not quite place.  His eyes seemed vacant, all the fight and will to lead sucked clean out of them and leaving behind a mere shell of his former self.  It was frightening for the Elf to look upon.  To see the one that had held such power for longer then the Elf's immortal life thus far be so weak and fragile in appearance.  If he knew no better, he would have sworn that Gandalf was just like any old human, delaying the days until his passing while he constantly searched for a meaning to it all.

"Since you so stubbornly refuse to make your plea," Théoden's voice broke into the Elf's worried thoughts and brought his mind back to the conversation at hand.  "It would appear that your conscious has finally taken a grip upon you and refuses to allow you to spread more lies." Théoden started firmly and, for the surrounding Rohan men, convincingly.  

To all save one.

"My lord," Éomer cut in silently, moving in closer to his uncle's ear so to keep the conversation between only them.  He had been standing by the back of Théoden's chair, keeping an eye over the preceding even though he did not agree with them.  The notion that this Elf was evil seemed both folly and incredible.  Yet, as much as he wanted to help his three new friends in their struggle, he also held a duty and responsibility to his people and his uncle.  With that extent of inner conflict, he had restricted himself to just watching over the trail and making his own decision based upon the facts presented while also keeping an eye on the mob that seemed out for Legolas' blood.  

"Perhaps," he started cautiously, "you are being slightly hasty in your decision.  There really is no-"

"Hold your tongue, Éomer," Théoden spat at the man as if he were no more then a slave, "else you may be seen as one of them."  

Opening and closing his mouth in a loss of what to do, Éomer took a small step back, his teeth biting into his bottom lip in worry.  Casting a quick look over to Aragorn, he offered the human as much condolence as he could under the current circumstances.  

He knew that Aragorn and Legolas were close – how close he was uncertain – and so, looking at Aragorn, he could see the panic clearly in his eyes as he watched his friend straighten himself up from the blow to the head.  Aragorn seemed fatigued, haggard and worried.  Dark circles ringed his eyes for, as Éomer knew, he had not slept since the departure of Edoras.  There had been little time for rest before the battle, and Éomer himself witnessed Aragorn's feeble attempts of trying to clam the somewhat irrational and confused Elf the night before. 

It had been a sight that Éomer could have lived happily without seeing.  Legolas did not understand the ways and customs of men and so the thought of going on trial in a human land had almost driven him to the point of having a nervous breakdown.  The charges against him did naught to console the archer either, and, as much as Aragorn hushed him or simply hugged the Elf to his chest, Legolas seemed to not be able to get his head around the proclaimed arraignments.  

To his credit, Legolas did look much better now; his shaking had stopped and he was able to get out a full sentence without stuttering or emitting a slight hiccup.  The Elf had regained his usual composure, not allowing the shame-seeking humans to see his fear or confusion as he stood tall and proud behind the trial gate.  It almost seemed as if the Elf held an air of royalty to him; his face so well trained into not displaying any emotion that it seemed proper that he had had a great deal of experience with the entire façade.  Even when Théoden resumed speaking, Legolas would not allow even the slightest sliver of uncontrolled emotion to pass over his face.  

After having successfully silenced his nephew, the king turned his attention back to the Elf who was wiping blood from his mouth with chained hands.   "Your unwillingness to admit to your guilt is all the evidence that we need to prove it."

"That is ridiculous!" both Aragorn and Legolas shouted at the same time, one leaning over the wooden pole that he was chained behind, the other once again trying to leap from his chair.  

"You can not make such empty assumptions!" Aragorn continued as the two guards gripped his shoulders and forced him back into his seat.  Who was Théoden to judge Legolas?  Unbridled dread clutched at his heart as the acidic taste of bile rose in the back of his throat.  Eyes darting over to Legolas, he saw the faintest glimmer of terror pass over the pale, schooled face of his friend and now, more then ever, he wished that it were he in the Elf's position.

What had happened these past days?  How had it all gone so horribly wrong?

"You will stay silent, Aragorn," Théoden shouted over the curses flowing from the Ranger's mouth as he struggled against the larger and more advantaged guards that loomed above him.  "Or you shall be made silent!"

"I will not-"

"Aragorn!" Legolas hissed at the man, stopping his sentence in the middle of his statement.  Indeed, Aragorn was trying to help, but in reality all he was doing was putting himself in a more dangerous situation while condemning Legolas with his outbursts.  Théoden was already furious and the last thing that they needed was to have the king enraged.  

Théoden once again looked to Legolas, his stare harsh and cold and the archer found himself returning the glare threefold.  

"I have made my decision." Théoden started bluntly as he continued to let his gaze pierce the Elf and vice versa.  

An excited buzz went up in the crowd as the king made his declaration.  It was as if they were waiting for it, their lives hanging on every word that their leader spoke.  Their minds seemed enable to focus on anything but the conviction that the Elf was to receive, their hate and blood-lust overwhelming their senses to a point of utter madness.  Again, Legolas could see in their eyes that they wanted him dead – or to suffer – but he dared not say anything on the topic.  Not after last time...not after what had landed him in this mess in the first place.  

"Legolas," a hush fell to the point that even the mortals could hear each and every heart beat within the room, "you have been trialed for of both being a spy of Saruman and having practiced the Dark Arts of Necromancy by Psychomancy." Théoden said coldly, his words bouncing off the now dead silent stone room.  "For such crimes against the people of Rohan, you have, through your silence, condemned yourself and proven your guilt.  The punishment for such crimes is death...death by flame."  

*****

Tbc...  

For those wondering, Psychomancy means, and I quote from the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology, "by men's souls, affections, wills, religious beliefs or moral dispositions."

So, was that as different as you were expecting?  I hope so.  All will be explained soon...you will just have to read to find out! *pokes tongue out*

As always, please review.

Minka.


	2. Invocation

Ah!  I am finally back!  Sorry for the delay but have been very busy with school and trying to perfect Shadows Within; Darkness Without before posting the next chapter of that up (should be up in the next few days for those that are reading that one.  Another long chapter – so far it is 16 pages but will end up as a bit more...)

Anyway, you shall all hate me by the end of this chapter as, while I answer one (or really only half) question, I bring up more.

Thank you very, VERY much for all the wonderful support that I received from the first chapter,  I was a little unsure on the story, but you all seemed to like it (well, apart from one fact – the possibility of Legolas dying.  *evil smile*) Response to reviews are at the bottom.  

OH, and the little bit that appears in the middle, has no really meaning but kinda tells what happened in a shorten way.  Did that make sense?  

*****

Everything in Me...

Chapter Two

Invocation

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Two day's earlier... 

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Dead, they would all die.  It was for sure, a certainty that could not be rationally questioned or argued with.  They would be overrun, swarmed, cut down like grain in the harvest by the vile crooked blades constructed from the metal buried deep within the circle of Isengard.  There was no stopping it, no way in which to counter the potent blow being dealt to them once the sun set in the west.  

True hope was gone; fled into the sinking orange sun and leaving behind only its name-sake.  

"Look at them!" Legolas' clear voce rang out of the din within the small armory.  Looking from villager to villager, their weather beaten faces all now peering at him with a sense of morbid interest, the Elf took a step forward and turned back to Aragorn; to the supposed hope of a word in peril.  Looking to a few of the closest men, Legolas could see the fear playing at the corners of their iris', the colour becoming slightly distorted with the bleak knowledge of their impending doom.  "They are frightened...I see it in their eyes." He stated while locking gazes with Aragorn once again.  

In truth, it was not just their eyes that bothered him, that spoke of the terror that gripped at their hearts with the claws of a bird of prey.  Their essence leaked it, filling the room with a soft vibration – like that which travels up an arrow shaft seconds after it hits its target – that only an Elf could detect.  Their breath smelt of it, the tell tale traces of the bile that rose in their throats drifted through the air, informing the Elf of the churning horror in the pits of the humans stomachs.  

But he need not say that; need not let on any more then what he already had.  Just as knowledge had the ability to hand out power, it also had the will to destroy.  

He could feel the entire room tense at his words, all eyes turning to lock onto him in both fear and disbelief. 

But why should he care?  Let them fear him if they were too confused to see whom the real enemy was.   

"Boe a hyn," he said to Ranger in front of him, naturally slipping into his own tongue to better discuss things of a closed manner, "...neled herain dan caer menig!"

Sighing and shaking his head slightly, Aragorn looked around at the men and the surroundings.  He could see where Legolas was coming from, see what he was trying to say but what other choice did these men have?  "Si beriathar hýn ammaeg nâ ned Edoras." He tried to reason with the blond archer, telling him that it was the best place to be given the circumstances.  

"Aragorn," Legolas stated with a slight patronizing tone; it was folly to remain here – anyone could surly see that! "Nedin dagor hen ú-'erir otheri. Natha daged dhaer." Yes, they would all die, Rohan would be annihilated and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop it.  

"Then I shall die as one of them!" Aragorn snapped in Westron, alerting the humans to the main topic of conversation.  The anger was clear in Aragorn's eyes, burning into Legolas' like a candles flame, and yet there seemed to be a hint of something else.  Fear?  Knowledge?  Remorse?  What it was, Legolas could not pick for, other then the blinding fury, not mush else could be differentiated from the man's cold glare.  

Both froze; the mistake and slip in tongues obvious as all eyes in the room set upon them with a frightful air.  Silence fell in the room, the gathered humans all frozen still while the words they had heard sunk in.  Assumptions were made, gaps in the understanding of the speech filled and slowly, but not slowly enough, each person had formed some sort of opinion on what the Elf had said in his native tongue.  

As Aragorn turned and walked out of the room, his steps loud and full of purpose, Legolas exhaled a large sigh, trying to ignore the glares while attempting to work out what had made him say such things.  

*~~~*~~~*

_...Words, words in the dark.  Hushed voices full of fear and panic.  Faces reflecting the inner struggles held against the feelings that threatened to drown all rational thought in a sea of frantic desperation.  _

_News travels fast in such an area of proximity, each person to pass on the message twisting it to their own means and to satisfy those being told.  _

_Language makes no difference, the tone telling the words that are thought so cleverly disguised between those that are fathomable.  The rest can easily be guessed upon – or fabricated then elaborated._

_The event gets out while the truth of the matter is extinguished, the pieces picked up and remolded into something with a form of its own..._

*~~~*~~~*

Aragorn sat on the stairs leading to the main hall of the mountain fort, his thoughts running away with the steadily blowing breeze.  Was Legolas right?  Would they all die in this pace of hewn stone and watery mud?  

He could feel it too, perceive the ambiance of fear that pumped through the veins of the humans that surrounded him.  They busied themselves with the sharpening of swords that should have, by all right, long since been added to the scrap heap, melted down to re-forge a stronger, sharper blade.  

"What is your name?" Aragorn asked of a young boy that wandered past, a distressed look plastered across his childish features.  

"Háleth, son of Háma, my lord." He replied softly with a slight quiver is his voice.   

"Give me your sword!" Aragorn commanded.  Reaching down, he took the weapon in his hands and looked down the slightly bent blade.  It was old; the carvings on the metal long since ruined with scratches, each an account of past battles.  The sword itself was slightly light, a sure sign of the corrosion of the metal over time and suggesting that it would not be able to take much force upon it without shattering in the boys hands.  The leather of the handle was worn and prickly in it's over handled state while the main area of grip was slick with the sweat of past users.  

Sighing, Aragorn spun the sword over his palm, feeling the slight imbalance that the bowed blade created in the equilibrium of the object.  Continuing on with the momentum, he swirled it around the air once more, the velocity creating a small gush of wind that was left in its wake.  

Finishing his test of the blade and looking to young Háleth, he gripped the base of the blade and handed it back to him.  

"This is a good sword," the man told him with a false smile.  It was not a lie, only a reassurance.  A mere twist of words to comfort those who could not otherwise be calmed.  Besides, if all went well, then that boy would never have to fight an opponent face to face.  

"The men are troubled," Háleth said quietly, his voice reflecting his young age while he took the sword back and leant it against the steps.  "There is talk..."

When it became apparent that he was not about to say anymore without prompting, Aragorn crouched down so that he was eye level with the lad.  "Talk of what?" 

"They say that we will not last the night, that dawn shall not rise and that...that we are cursed."  Aragorn's brow creased in the middle, his frown reaching even his lips as he chewed the inside of his cheek – a habit since childhood.  

Leaning closer to the Ranger, the boy looked furtively about him, making sure that no one was listening in.  "They say that he brings it, that he is the cause.  They want him gone."

"Who?  Who do they want gone?"  But in his heart he already knew – how could he not?

"The Elf!" the boy hissed, his own voice dripping with a malice that startled even Aragorn.  "He brings bad luck," he continued, "They say that he can see the future, that he saw our destruction." leaning closer still, he peered deeply into Aragorn's eyes; his own wide and full of questions.  As he began to speak again, Aragorn could see a definite streak of fascination pass through the boy while his words became rushed and full of curiosity. "Is it true that he once served under Saruman?  That he was trained in the magickal arts by the White Wizard himself?"

It took a moment to register, to realize what the child was telling him about his long time friend.  Legolas a sorcerer?  How had such a preposterous notion crept into the minds of the men?  

"Legolas is no sorcerer," Aragorn offered with a smile.  Masking the sudden jolt of fear that passed from his heart to the rest of his body.  

"But he saw it; he saw our destruction.  That is the work of magick!  The men do not like him...they say that he is a wielder of the dark arts; a spy and that he should be trialed as one."

"I assure you," Aragorn argued with Háleth, "he is no spy and has no knowledge of the power that they speak of."

"How can you be sure?" the boy asked, his eyes still wide and darting from shadow to shadow.

"Because he is my friend!" Aragorn started.  Yet as soon as the words left his mouth, his mind was questioning the reasoning behind it.  Were they still friends?  Even after what had been said, after the way that Aragorn had just walked out on the Elf?

"But he openly defied you," the boy pushed, speaking as if he were reading the Rangers mind.  "You are to be king and yet he challenged you."

"I am to be king, but not of him or his people," Aragorn tried to explain to the questioning child.  He could see that the boy did not quite understand what he was saying and that with each new reason that Aragorn supplied, he only seemed to be getting even more confused.  For the briefest moment the thought of telling the boy that Legolas was a prince crossed his mind but he quickly banished it.  It had been a long standing agreement between the two to never give away their identities to anyone when outside of completely loyal territory and from the way this conversation was heading, this place seemed neither loyal nor welcoming to the Elf.  

Nodding his understanding, a thing that surprised Aragorn immensely, Háleth crocked his head to the side and looked the man right in the eyes.

"I do not believe them." He stated after a long staring contest.  "He seemed nice; quiet but nice."  

To Aragorn, it seemed as if the boy held wisdom far beyond his years; he seemed to understand things that even Aragorn struggled with at times.  Maybe it was a child's awareness, maybe they were able to see the world in a way that adults could not, a way that the older of the world had long forgotten.  

Whatever it was, Aragorn was never to find out.

"Háleth?" a motherly voice called out over the din of the crowd.  "Háleth, where are you?"

Looking to the completely confused ranger, Háleth turned and walked off to find the caller without so much as another word.  

*****

Yet another scornful look.  Yet another whisper from behind that the humans so foolishly thought Legolas could not hear.

Legolas sighed as he wandered almost aimlessly through the stone halls of the fort, half in search of Aragorn half in search of somewhere quiet and away from the accusing glares.  

He had spoken hastily to his friend, to the one person that he had no reason to ever doubt and, for some reason, it seemed to play heavily upon his heart – more so then he would have thought.  

He seemed to have this lingering fear, a sense of apprehension about this place and the people that it held, that could not be shaken or forgotten.  It seemed as if the fear wanted to stick to every thought, resurface every time he managed to finally forget it.  The Elven prince had no clue as to what was causing such a confused thought to nibble away at his mind but he knew that it could not be brushed aside.  He would just have to find a way to work out what his instincts were trying to warn him of. 

Either way, he was just looking forward to getting this battle over and done with, no matter what the outcome.

*****

Two day's later

*****

"Damnit!" Aragorn was the first to speak and break the silence that had befallen the room.  "You cannot do this!  You. have. no. evidence!" Aragorn sounded out slowly as one would if they were talking to a small, somewhat dimwitted child.   

"We have all the evidence that we need.  You yourself witnessed two happenings!" Théoden retorted.  At the confused look that passed over Aragorn's face, Théoden took it upon himself to explain.  "Were you not there, Aragorn son of Arathorn, when this Elf foretold of all our deaths?"

"That was a mere statement made in despair!" Legolas shouted.  He had finally managed to drag himself from the state of shock that he had slipped into at the announcement of his sentence.  "Anyone could have said such things at that moment; in fact, I know for sure that many of the men were already saying the same thing.  Doubts were strong!"

"Do not seek to attempt to prove your innocence by condemning others, Elf!" a sly voice practically hissed from the darkness of the far corner of the room.  All eyes in the room turned to see whom the new speaker was and how it was that they claimed the right to speak at such a formal state of affairs.  A few shocked gasps came from those closest while the others in the rest of the room strained their necks to see through both the crowd and the shadows.

Leaning across the accused bench, Legolas narrowed his eyes and peered into the corner, having for more success then most others, including Aragorn.  

As soon as he was able to get a clear view of the newcomer, Legolas' top lip curled back, his teeth shown through his utterly unusual snarl while his eyes flashed a darker blue in his hatred.

"Gríma..."

*****

Tbc...

Hehehe, I know I am evil, but he had to come into it somewhere, so it was just fitting that it should be there.  But I can assure you, there is no way that you will work out what is going to happen/has happened...  

***

Response to reviews.

UnReal: Is it slash?  I am going to do one of those, 'it is up to the reader things'.  I mean, there will be no making out, no kissing, no declarations of love or anything, but it could be read that way if one really wanted to.  I have done this with another story before and it worked quite well, so there shall be no reason to run!  *smiles*

Karina: while I am not going to give you a direct answer, I hope this chapter cleared up part of some of your questions.  All will be revealed as the story goes on.  I want to do it all in flashbacks and whatnot so that I can have both sides of the character show through in places.  The before and after...  and all the questions are fine and actually helpful to me as it makes sure that I go over everything and make it all make sense.

Elflover: like I said above, I want to do it this way as I get a good contrast in the characters as well as I can have both parts running at once.  That way it is not all the trial at the end and all the before stuff at the beginning.  It makes it a bit more of a challenge and I think a bit better read as it reveals things as it goes...keeps the twists coming.

Linis: I think it sounds kinda fun as well!  Lol, but I am evil!

Flick: no, I have not read "The Crucible".  Our class at school got screwed out of it by another so we go stuck with some story about a guy who was a mortician!  Lol.  I have wanted to read it due to the obvious obsession with all things witch and Salem related, but have never gotten around to it.  I am glad that understand some of the deeper reasons for the characters actions; it is good to know that others do in fact see what I am trying to get across.  *big smiles* glad you like the plot, and, as promised, I do not think that it shall reveal itself before the set time.  Also, thank you for your lovely complements!  I try my hardest to make it as real and as close to the actually characters as possible, so it is wonderful to hear that I have succeeded.  Thank you! 

Dragon-of-the-North: like I have been saying, all will be revealed in due time. *evil cackling* 

Eilonwy: yes I do have a copy of it.  It was a gift from a lady that I have known all my life and who is a practicing Pagan.  It is a great book!  Due to being busy at school, I have not yet had time to choose a winner for the contest, so yes, if you want to, you can still enter – that goes for everyone.  Just send it along and I will put it with the others to read when I have some free time.  

Alright, I really have to go now, so I am very sorry to anyone that I did not get to personally thank, but please do not feel that your wonderful replies are not appreciated.  They are and I only hope that you enjoy this as much as you seemed to the first chapter.  

Minka.


	3. Relinquishment

Hello once again. Yes, I know it's been a long time, but I hope that you shall forgive me and just bear with me. I have had an extremely shitty term of school (finally on holidays as of yesterday); have suffered through twelve hours of exams in the last week, a teacher of two of my subjects being taken to the Board of Education for not teaching the right syllabus, and thus having to attempt to teach myself an half a year of biology from the textbook in a little over a week. In short, it has been hell!  
  
Consider this as my peace offering; this update, the next chapter of Extorted up in a few days, and a few other surprises revolving around Legolas being an assassin pretending to be a whore (did that make sense?)  
  
Anyway, here it is, slightly longer then most of the other chapters in the story, and, from my story notes, this should be the second last chapter!  
  
*****  
  
Everything in Me  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Relinquishment.  
  
*****  
  
"And what of the second act of treason?" Gríma hissed, his eyes almost glowing in the dimly lit room. "What of the fact that you allowed the Orc's access to our fort!"  
  
"What?" again both Aragorn and Legolas yelled their question at the same time, only to be closely followed by Gimli's own protest to the statement.  
  
"Because of you that Orc was able to blow up the wall," Gríma stated. "But that was your plan all along, was it not? Something that was prearranged with your wizard master? First to discourage the men with your warnings of death which you passed off as having been discovered with your foresight and then aid Saruman in his dark conjuring that brought down the wall! The accused Elf simply did not both with your safety," Gríma told the people watching the hearing as he paced back and forth, spreading his lies.  
  
"That was an accident!" Aragorn shouted as Gríma told of Legolas' apparent treachery to the court. "And that was not how it happened!"  
  
*****  
  
Two day's earlier...  
  
*****  
  
His arm was actually shaking! Never had such a thing happened before, not once in his years and years of fighting had his nerves bested him.  
  
"Dago han! Dago han, Legolas! Dago han!"  
  
Again the frantic shouting of Aragorn reached his ears over the din of the battle. Upon hearing the desperation in the human's voice, Legolas rather wished that he were cursed with the selective hearing of the human's that surrounded him.  
  
Sparing no more thought to the subject in a frantic attempt to calm the raging and unusual feelings swelling up inside him, Legolas relaxed his fingers, letting his arrow spring from his bow with a deadly snap.  
  
As soon as the arrow took flight, Legolas was able to see that it would never be enough to fall the beast. It was far too high and the rain hindered the strength in which it flew. Quickly pulling another arrow from his quiver, the Prince of Mirkwood fitted it to his bow with trembling hands.  
  
Pulling his bow taut, the shaft of the arrow scraping against the grain of the wood of his bow, Legolas saw his first arrow finally hit. Just as he had predicted, it penetrated the Orc's shoulder, missing the desired mark by a good three inches.  
  
It was as if time had stopped; the frantic movement around him slowing to the relaxed motions of an undisturbed brook. The air seemed thick; heavy - as if one could cut it with a blade and see a large tear afterwards, and it made movements that would have otherwise been quick labored and difficult. His senses screamed at him, his ears ringing with the constant clash of swords and the cries of the dying and commanding. His eyes where blurry, whether it be from lack of rest or the heavily pounding droplets of water he did not know. His body tingled, reacting to even the slightest disturbance in the area around him with a series of twitches and flinches, as if every movement was a thin sword being thrust into him.  
  
Struggling against the strange sensation of his body and mind betraying him, Legolas fought for the clarity of mind to be able to draw his bow with the required strength. Eyes squinting against the onslaught of the rain, the Elf found himself utterly lost without being able to place his faith in his senses.  
  
Sending a prayer to the Valar, he finally let the arrow go, setting it forth on its path.  
  
Once the arrow left his string, the world quaked back into motion. Like the grinding of a waterwheel against its supporting pole, the noise and commotion of the battle surrounding him flooded back into his conscious with an almighty boom. What once appeared to be in slow motion was now supercharged; flying past him at such impossible speeds that even his quick eyesight could not distinguish one thing from the other.  
  
An earsplitting bang resounded around the Deep, and the next thing that the Elf knew, he was in the air, being launched backwards with such force that he was almost sure that he was being split apart. He could feel the wind in his hair, hear it as it whistled shrilly past his pointed ears as he began his plummet back towards the ground, and yet all the while all he could think was that he had missed again.  
  
With the sounds of stone hitting stone, screams as people were crushed and the victorious roar of the Orcs, Legolas was unsure of when he actually hit the ground, all he could pinpoint was when the pain intensified.  
  
Shards of rock and stone clattered about him, all by some miracle missing his body that lay prone upon the ground with his breath unable to reach his lungs. His head felt as if it had split in two, opening up his mind for an intense round of pain that felt like there was a temperamental giant throwing boulders around within his brain. Assessing from the amount of throbbing that he could feel in every part of his body, he knew that nothing was broken, though he was utterly unsure if that was a good thing.  
  
"Here they come!" a voice shouted out, pulling Legolas from his pain inflicted semi-consciousness. Forcing his body into gear, he rolled over onto his hands and knees, mindful of the sharp points of the wall that littered the ground.  
  
Relieved to have air reaching his protesting lungs once again, the Elf allowed himself a mere moment to look around him. Little more then a few feet away from him on his right lay a man that he had been standing next to on the wall. The man's face was pale and blood streaked, his lips open in a startled and yet silent cry while his chest was completely crushed by a large brick of hewn stone. His left side portrayed no better a scene; at least three other bodies lying crushed and broken between portions of what had once been the wall.  
  
Movement off to his left drew Legolas' attention, and, much to his relief, he saw the familiar form of Aragorn picking his way out from underneath the small pile or rubble in which he had landed.  
  
As if the human had sensed Legolas' gaze, he looked up at the Elf, worry and pain seemingly etched into this face.  
  
'I'm sorry,' Legolas mouthed to the Ranger, feeling the strange need for some form of contact or the ability to cry.  
  
'Do not be,' Aragorn mouthed back, his eyes locked with the Elf's in a gaze that was so intimate that it chilled Legolas to the bone. He imagined that he could feel Aragorn looking right through him, reading his thoughts and understanding his overwhelming sense of guilt.  
  
Another shout came from behind them, breaking the strange gaze for merely a moment, before both unthinkingly looked back to each other. Speaking without words in a language formed from many years of friendship, both slowly reached for their weapons; Aragorn his sword and Legolas his bow, which had luckily been left intact.  
  
"NOW!" Aragorn shouted, and, as one, the Elf and man jumped to their feet, bow and sword raised and their pain pushed aside, ready to fight on.  
  
*****  
  
Two day's later...  
  
*****  
  
"He did not consider what would become of you all after he allowed that Orc to offer access to the area beyond our walls to its companions. He was merely acting out of instruct with his manipulative and destructive master."  
  
"A master that you yourself obey!" Legolas hissed at the man as he walked by the Elf's restrained position. "Was it not you who had been thrown out of Rohan for your own acts of treason; for associating yourself with Saruman?"  
  
"Do you see?" Gríma cried out to the watching people, "do you see the way in which he seeks to promote himself by the defamation of others? He is guilty! I promise you that."  
  
"Just as you are guilty of what he spoke of," Aragorn once again pointed out. "By the way, how is it that you are back here spreading your lies?"  
  
"That incident was a simple misunderstanding," Théoden spoke up once again, "Gríma pleaded his case before me and was found to be wrongfully accused."  
  
Glancing quickly at Gandalf, who still remained silent in his seat, Aragorn felt his already heightened sense of panic increase. This was not going well! Mind made up, concocting one last desperate ploy, Aragorn sent a meaningful look in Gimli's direction, telling him to be silent no matter what. If this failed, then both he and Legolas would need Gimli to be considered 'guilt free' by the idiotic court.  
  
"If Legolas is guilty of Necromancy, then I am guilty also!" Aragorn shouted hastily while rising to his feet. "I use swords to see the future, I look into their blades and do not see my own reflection but a shadow of what is to come." Making his stand over next to the Elf, Aragorn kept his head held high and glared down any that sought to contradict him.  
  
"Aragorn!" Legolas hissed out of the corner of his mouth while not breaking eye contact with Théoden. "What in Valar's name are you doing?"  
  
"Improvising," came the rather doubtful whispered reply.  
  
"Great..." the Elf muttered while letting his eyes drop for the first time. Not only was he being sentenced to death, but his dearest friend was condemning himself.  
  
Yet again another silence fell over the room. A foot shuffled to the right, a cough to the left and nothing more. Théoden was considering what was just said; how to act upon a confession from a future king of Gondor. Sighing in what seemed defeat, Théoden raised his head and nodded at the guards at the side of the room. "Take them away!" he commanded. A handful of guards rushed forward, forming a box around the prisoners while grabbing their forearms and practically dragging them from the room and watching eyes.  
  
Panicking as he and Aragorn were yanked from the room by the squadron guards, Legolas took a large breath and yelled; "foresight? You want foresight, Théoden King? You want me to use my Necromantic power to look into time not yet come? Well how is this for seeing the future? If you kill us not only will you have the fury of Rivendell upon you, but you will have the full wraith of Mirkwood bearing down on your heads."  
  
All the while the guards were pulling him from the room, attempting to silence his cries of evil and doom. Both Aragorn and Legolas kicked and struggled against their restricting arms, the blond thrashing the hardest at the unwanted touches of the humans'.  
  
"With the Elves and the Dark Lord against you, how long do you think you will last?" Legolas questioned the watching human's hatred and condemnation in his eyes. "A month? A week? A day?"  
  
Murmurs started up in the room, each listener casting worried looks to their king while covering their ears from the sorcery that spilt from the Elf's mouth like blood from a deep wound. The guards holding them stopped dead in their tracks, not knowing whether to keep a strong grip on their prisoners or to cover their ears in fear as well. They seemed to fear the voice of the Elf far more then his actions; as if he could control them with a single spoken word.  
  
"Your kingdom is weak!" Legolas continued. "You have suffered a blow not easily overcome with this battle, and when the forces of three powerful nations fall on your head, you and your people will crumble to dust and be scattered upon the plains. Your kingdom will not hold, Théoden King, it will be.no.more! Do you understand that? Where Saruman failed, my people will succeed!" Taking a breath and casting a furtively look to Aragorn who merely shrugged, he continued, milking his so called 'power' for all it was worth.  
  
"Yes, I have seen it! I have seen your own fear and stupidity bringing about a plague of death upon your lands. Nothing shall grow, nothing shall live-"  
  
"Silence!"  
  
"No, damnit!" Legolas yelled back while struggling to get closer to the king. "You will listen to me or I shall curse you all right now! You want my plea? You want me to confess to something that your petty mortal minds have conceived. Well here is my confession!" Pulling right out of the guard's grip, he walked himself proudly into the middle of the room, his head held high even though chains kept his arms near his waist and his feet from gaining their normal long strides.  
  
"I confess that I said that I thought that you would all die." Again a mummer spread through the crowd only this time it was more excited, as if this speech was something worth hearing. "I admit to all gathered here that I did say that, but why? Why did I say such a thing? It was no act of foresight; no summoning of the Dark Arts or conversing with the dead to get a vision of the future. It was solely due to the fact that I have no faith in you humans. How could I have ever known that you would be able to pull through such an assault!  
  
"I mean, look at you. Look at how you squabble among yourselves over the smallest and most trivial of things. How was I ever to see hope in a rabble worth no more then a band of ill-trained Orcs?  
  
"Further more, I confess that I allowed that Orc to gain access to the deep. I confess to the fact that the wall was breached because of me. Because of my malfunction! I failed in bringing him down; I made a mistake in what it is that I pride myself upon. I failed to hit my target when I was most needed and there is not a moment that goes by that I do not wish I could turn back the clock and take better aim. I know that I allowed them into the Deep, and because of that form of access many innocent people were killed. I know that I substandard, that it was a personal mistake that I should never have allowed to happen."  
  
"But at the same time, you should also know that it could have happened to anyone," Aragorn added with a gentle smile. Legolas turned to face him and offered a small, almost sad grin of his own that told Aragorn that his words had done little to lift the inner burden that the Elf was carrying.  
  
Aragorn hated seeing his friend beat himself up over something that was not within his control in the first place. Besides, what did he have to lose by trying to comfort his friend?  
  
"So what if Legolas had missed one target? What of the hundred others that he did hit? If he were in league with Saruman, why would he have killed so many of his master's precious soldiers? Why would he, one of the first- born, fight to save your lives - risk his own life - to save people that his mentor wanted destroyed?"  
  
"SILENCE!" Théoden once again yelled while leaping to his feet. "Get them out of my sight and keep them quiet!"  
  
"You can not kill us, Théoden!" Legolas continued, his mind racing with possible things to say in order to buy them even a few minutes. "Do you want to know of the power of the Elves? Do you want to know our true power? Well, did you know that we older Elves can communicate through our minds? That at this very moment, Rivendell, Mirkwood and Lothlórien alike are rousing their army and preparing to bring war about your lands!"  
  
Shuffling closer to the yelling Elf, Aragorn leaned in to the Elf's ear. "What are you doing? You cannot use-"  
  
"Shut up!" Legolas muttered, trying to keep his secret from the ears of the court surrounding them.  
  
"I have had enough of both your words and Saruman's lies filling my ears. I shall have no more!" Théoden yelled, his fist hitting the armrest of his chair as he drowned out the rest of what Legolas was about to say.  
  
"Saruman's words?" Aragorn questioned heatedly. "Look beside you, Théoden! You have the very embodiment of Saruman's evil standing as your right-hand man who still whispers in your ear! And you? You are not strong enough to refuse! You listen; listen like the good little puppet that you have become."  
  
"How dare you accuse me of such lies!" Gríma protested as he stalked across the room towards the two prisoners.  
  
"I made a mistake," Aragorn murmured when the other man was within earshot, "I should have let him kill you when he had the chance!"  
  
Smiling self assuredly, Gríma just nodded his head slightly as his beady eyes locked onto Aragorn's. "That is good," he hissed, "make threats of death at such a time. You will get both yourself and your little friend killed even sooner." Glancing over the shoulders of both man and Elf, Gríma waved the guards forward. "You heard your king, take them away!"  
  
Giving into his fate, the fight drained out of him, Legolas complied as the hands of the guards closed roughly around his upper arms and tugged him forward. Feeling rather then seeing Aragorn do the same beside him, Legolas allowed the humans to lead him and his best friend out of the room and into the corridor that would lead to their cell...and consequently to their execution.  
  
*****  
  
Tbc...  
  
Man that was fun to write! Oh, and I included the flashback to the Orc- wall incident solely for the fact that I was annoyed that the movie only showed Aragorn getting thrown and getting back up. I mean, the Elf was up there too!! Stupid Peter Jackson left out a perfect opportunity for Legolas ouchies!  
  
*is listening to "Helm's Deep"* I LOVE the bit at like, 2:39 into it with the drums and violin. Anyway, I hope that that lived up to your expectations and that it succeeded in its peace commencing task...  
  
Replies to reviews:  
  
Miralas: I am leaving the slash up to the reader. There will be no making out or anything of the like, but if one wants to read it as a slash story, then by all means, feel free to. I mean, there are some things in there that I consider slightly slashy, but that is just my thoughts on the situation. So you want Legolas to die, do ya? *eyes glint* fun, fun, fun!  
  
Legolaslover: I am very sorry for the delay, and I hope that you are still enjoying it.  
  
Ryoko: YAY! Someone who understands where I am coming from! It is hard to do both, but I am unwilling to screw up my education and refuse to stop writing. It just means that I have to make time and prioritize! *looks at smashed window* tired that...LOL. Hope you liked this chapter!  
  
Tamara: thank you, and I hope that you enjoyed.  
  
Karina: I liked Haleth - I thought he was a she, but that is irrelevant! Lol, but yes, I thought that the Elf should have *some* supporters... and yes, it was the Galadriel fearing and the glare that Éomer gave Legolas at their first meeting that really inspired this story. I am also glad that you can see the logic behind it (goddess knows that that is something that I have been struggling to find! Lol) Lol, I am glad that my stories make you think, or that you never know what it going to happen (half the time I never do either, but that is also beside the point!) I'm happy that you like the 'witless worm' coming into it. believe it or not, that was not pre-planned; I kinda just put that in there before I posted last time and mentally rewrote the story to fit my own twisted mind! As for the Legolas and Gríma thing, I hate to say it, but you shall just have to wait! *evil smile* WOW, you are really looking deeply into it, aren't you? Lol, I don't know whether I should be happy that you are putting so much thought into it, or apologizing for causing you mental strain! Lol. But thank you very much for you lovely review!  
  
LAXgirl: it's here, it's here!  
  
Eilonwy: Hell yes, slash is good! But so is friendship! *is torn...* well, that was one more chapter down. Hope it lived up to what you were looking forward to.  
  
Sakura and Yugi-chan: it is always bad when people are happy that I finally updated - means I am a slack ass! Lol!  
  
Gemstone: Hey! Long time no see! Yes, I am opting for a more mental thriller/torture then my usual 'make the Elf bleed' factor! As to how they are going to get out of this, I am still somewhat unsure! Lol *joins you in jumping around with a big stupid grin on her face for no reason*  
  
Linis: come now, if I gave you all the answers last chapter, why would you come back for this one? I have to keep you hanging for a little bit...  
  
Andmetwen: Evil Gríma, evil Gríma! To die, or not to die; I guess that is the question, hey?  
  
Flick: Dude, I don't care if you review three years from now, as long as you eventually leave one of your lovely reviews! ;) thank you! And yes, exams cause pain!!!!  
  
Thank you for the complement about my writing, though I hardly call it a style. It is either I get annoyed or depressed so I write and take my anger out on other people! Lol. But yes, I want Legolas to be shit scared but still be his usual brave and yet closed off self. ...he is such a fun character to break...  
  
Ah, the evils of the movieverse. I do see something's as an insult when you go movieverse (like Haldir's death, an army of Elves at Helm's Deep, leaving out the "Legolas Greenleaf, long under tree" riddle, and things like that) but for this story I actually need the movie changes to prove my point. That is why Haldir is not there, but Gríma parts have been incorporated. Keeping them in character is the hard part! I mean, look at Legolas, in the book he was a bit of a smart-ass, but in the movie he was the 'I'll stand here and occasionally say a line, which will more often then not be a statement of the obvious' type. LOL! In that respect, I think that it is good to have both movie and book as you can blend the almost different characters into one and then you are satisfying both fandom's.  
  
"It also helps the reader to relate back to where these events are leading," it also helps me to make sure that I do not get sidetracked with yet another Helm's Deep battle - done that already! Lol. Plus it is fun screwing with the different times while keeping the story moving and only unraveling certain things as I go. LMAO! You make more sense then I do!!  
  
Yes, the balance between slash and friendship was a wondrous discovery! *Nobel Prize, here I come!* yes, it is a win-win situation!  
  
Damn! Another person who has read that book! I REALLY need to read it now!  
  
*beams* "The road to civilization is also the road to destruction.)" My history teacher says that all the time, and it kinda got planted within my poor, overworked brain! It was one of those things that won't leave you alone until you use it somewhere, I just NEVER thought that someone would pick it out of such an odd context. I mean, sticking it into a Lord of the Rings fanfiction is not exactly the most common place to put a variation of such a complex idea. But, my god, I am still blown away that you found that! Lol! WOW, thank you for all that you said after that as well (I am still in a state of shock that you picked out my little quote that I am even further unequipped to reply). But thank you again, and I am glad that I am able to at least distance myself slightly from some of the other writers out there who, as you so wonderfully put it, "don't know what the word 'theme' means." Man, I really didn't think that anyone would notice that!!! And no, no, you are not heading in the wrong direction! Lol, you hit it so spot on that you actually have my speechless, which is a frightening thought!  
  
I hope you have a good day too! And thank you so very, very much!!!  
  
Rosie: HA! 'Brilliant' and 'evil' in the same sentence! Up yours to the academy of 'evil genius planning to take over the world' how said that I shall never make it! lol, sorry, slight sanity slip... I really want to read "The Crucible" - yes, I shall make that my goal for this holidays! Am reading an interesting book on Jack the Ripper at the moment, but after that I shall try and get hold of "The Crucible!" Congrats on your sell out performances!  
  
angelbird1224: it's continued!!!!  
  
Elflover: Ah, screwed up perceptions and misinterperations - aren't they the fun stuff in life!!! ;) and yes, Gríma!  
  
Exrated: glad you like and thank you for the review!  
  
Hellga: thank you! It is good to find another person that can see the logic behind it - means that I am not completely insane...  
  
Alynna Lis Eachann: Oh, so someone is starting to formulate a reason for Gandalf's silence! And I shall just nod and agree with what you said about The Crucible as, as I said, I am yet to read it. but I really think that I shall have to!  
  
Aislynn Crowdaughter: Oh dude! A FLAME! Don't know why I'm replying to this, as since you don't like the story, one would hope that you aren't forcing yourself to read it! But anyway, have you ever had a rumor spread about you? Because then you may better understand this. It is all about a play of words, misleading opinions made public and a bit more of an evil force working in the background. Now sure the Rohirrim would be gracious, but they *do* fear the Elves as they don't understand their language nor their ways and in such dark times, the smallest of things can be blown out completely out of proportion and into another thing entirely.  
  
But hey, if you don't like it, or believe it, then that is fine with me. I am not going to go off or delete your review or anything, in fact I would like to thank you for leaving your opinion and telling me exactly how you feel. I mean, even I will admit that I have asked for a great deal of faith from the readers to trust me with this story. So yes, thank you for being so honest and for actually making me go back and double check the plot.  
  
Earendilstar: Angst is fun, angst is good, angst makes the world go round! Hope this chapter was angsty as well!  
  
Nina: Slash, not slash - it is up to you. And yes, Gríma's betray is known as shown in this chapter...really makes you think, don't it??  
  
LotR Fan: I actually do agree with you about slash! Read the book, and no implications of slash, but the movie, the movie was the evil one. I mean, the council of Elrond with Aragorn and Legolas, the crossing of the bridge of kazard-dum, the 'your late' scene. I saw both movies for like my second and third times with a gay friend of mine, and even she picked up on it - but I blame it entirely on the actors (oh look, here come the law suits!) NOT THAT I AM SAYING THAT EITHER VIGGO OR ORLANDO ARE GAY (got that out of the way) but they have a natural chemistry that really picked up on screen. Well at least that is what I think. Lol, the answers are slowly being given...  
  
Dragon-of-the-north: Man, confusing is my middle name! I can't even go to get myself a drink without getting confused! As for exciting, I lead a rather dull life - Oh, you mean the story! LOL ;) Oh, and I like your thinking about the sacrifice the Elf to save himself thing! Very good! But not quite spot on! Oh, and another person that is mystified about the hateful look... *cackles evilly as that is what is expected* But let me tell you, you are getting Luke-warm! And yes, I am relying a lot of the suspicions of the Rohirrim to make this story plausible. Thank you for the lovely review!  
  
Ok, that was almost longer then the story...but I wanted to answer all of you. Thank you very much for the support and I hope that you can understand the delay!  
  
Minka. 


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